Nathan Handley thought his decade-long wait for the America's Cup to return to New Zealand shores was over this morning.

A member of the Team New Zealand crew which lost the Auld Mug to Alinghi in 2003, he is currently in Marseille, France, where he is coaching New Zealand crews taking part in the 2013 49er World Championships.

Handley - a bowman for the crew which was beset with gear failure on in 2003 - and other members of the New Zealand 49er contingent watched the initial stages of the opening race in San Francisco Harbour via the internet.

But with Emirates Team Zealand holding a commanding lead in light winds, their internet connection crashed.

They headed to another house where they were sure they would be able to wild scenes of celebrations from San Francisco, only to find the race had been aborted after Team New Zealand failed to cross the finish line in the agreed 40-minute race limit.

''I was obviously pretty gutted,'' Handley said from France.

''The internet crashed on us ... we thought it [the series] was game over, we thought Team New Zealand were going to win.''

Handley - himself also a former Olympic sailor - said time limits were nothing new in elite racing.

''I reckon they will be fine ... at least one of those races is going to go their way,'' he said.

He said his best thoughts went out to veterans from the disappointing 2003 campaign who remain onboard New Zealand's latest quest to win the America's Cup.

''I guess looking at the boat ... it looks like 80 per cent or 90 per cent of the guys are from that campaign,'' he said.

''I guess for them, they have been around the game for a long time now, and you would like to think this is their final hurdle. They have been together for a long time and you would like to think this would be their one to win.''

Handley said he had moved on from his own disappointment following 2003, saying ''it is long gone now''.

''I am tied up with Yachting New Zealand and the Olympic classes now,'' he said. ''That is my main focus, to try and win medals for the country at the Games.''